Thematic analysisS

Semantic and latent coding

Two levels of coding: semantic codes capture what participants explicitly said, and latent codes capture meanings and assumptions the researcher reads beneath the surface.

On this page
  1. In more detail
  2. In Themescape
  3. Where to read more

In more detail

Braun and Clarke describe coding as running along a line from semantic to latent. Semantic codes stay close to the explicit content of the data. Latent codes interpret it, drawing out ideas, assumptions or concepts that are not stated outright.

Most analyses use both. Being clear about the level of coding helps when writing up, because it shapes how much interpretation each theme carries.

In Themescape

Themescape displays codes at whatever level you wrote them. A working definition in the Framework tab is a good place to make a latent code's meaning explicit.

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The viewer with a theme selected, its codes around it and its definition in the panel. Sample data.

Where to read more

Braun, V., & Clarke, V. (2006). Using thematic analysis in psychology. Qualitative Research in Psychology, 3(2), 77–101.

Braun, V., & Clarke, V. (2022). Thematic analysis: A practical guide. SAGE.

Related terms

The words that sit closest to this one.

Back to the A to Z
Thematic analysisCodeA short label the researcher gives to a segment of data to capture something meaningful about it. Codes are the building blocks themes are developed from.Read the entryThematic analysisInductive and deductive orientationTwo ways into the data: an inductive orientation starts from the data itself, and a deductive orientation starts from existing theory or concepts.Read the entryThematic analysisWorking definitionA sentence or two saying what a theme or code means and what it holds, written early and revised as the analysis develops.Read the entryThemescapeBuild modeA Parent mode, in beta, for turning a figure style into a finished figure, reshaping it and exporting it.Read the entryThematic analysisCandidate themeA provisional theme generated in phase 3, held loosely while the researcher reviews whether it works against the coded data and the whole dataset.Read the entryThematic analysisCodebookA structured list of codes with definitions, used in codebook approaches to thematic analysis to apply codes consistently, often across several coders.Read the entry

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